Benefits of Chess

·Chess is fun and motivational. It develops self-esteem, builds team spirit and increases concentration.

·Chess has intellectual branding. People think only smart kids play chess. Kids who play chess think of themselves as smart.

·Chess improves test scores. Students involved in chess raise scores on math and reading standardized tests and make better grades in school overall.

·Chess is a thinking game.It encourages students to use patterns and logical deductive reasoning to solve problems.

Chess has a positive impact when taught systematically.

·Chess improves problem solving. It provides a tremendous number of problems to solve and an immediate reward or punishment. According to chess master and coach Jerry Meyers, these problem-solving skills include:

Focusing: You must observe and concentrate. If you don’t watch what’s happening in a game, you can’t respond, no matter how smart you are.

Visualizing: You must imagine a sequence of actions before it happens. Shift the pieces in your mind, first one, then several moves ahead.

Thinking Ahead: You have to ask the question: "If I do this, what might happen then, and how can I respond?" Over time, chess helps develop patience and thoughtfulness.

Weighing Options: You don’t have to do the first thing that pops into your mind. Identify alternatives and consider the pros and cons of different actions.

Analyzing Concretely: Learn to evaluate the results of specific actions and sequences. Does this sequence help me or hurt me? Decisions are better when guided by logic, rather than impulse.

Thinking Abstractly: Step back periodically from details and consider the bigger picture. Take patterns used in one context and apply them to different, but related situations.